'R' the gods now having a laugh on Arsenal?

A local jockey on the radio was lamenting the recent form of Arsenal. Four consecutive draws is effectively a collapse in Arsenal’s season and form which effectively hands the Premier League title to either Chelsea or most likely Manchester United. "It would be laughable if only it wasn’t so horrible," he said.

And as if the eight points lost wasn’t bad enough, the way Arsenal have been conceding goals of late seems almost like the gods playing out a comedy on the Gunners' back four. Consider against Birmingham and Middlesbrough; Arsene Wenger's men conceded goals to strikers who would normally struggle to hit a barn-yard door from the edge of the box.

Yet Birmingham’s James McFadden produced two stunning strikes to level the game for 10-man Birmingham – the latter being gifted to him by the normally reliable Gael Clichy. Then there was Philippe Sanderos’ own-goal against Aston Villa. The own-goal itself was comical but for the fact that it's almost impossible to think of any other defender playing for any of the other title-chasers doing something similar.

Of course, you could argue that anyone could have an off-day or be victim to a bad bounce. Still, Sanderos’ blip sandwiched between the strikes of McFadden and Middlesbrough’s Jeremie Aliadiere really seems as if the gods are having a laugh.